Generally described, computing devices may present various types of digital content to users for consumption. For example, computing devices may visually present items of content such as electronic books, movies, television programs and other multi-media content. Similarly, computing devices may aurally present content such as audio books, music, movies, and other multi-media content. When an individual selects to navigate through content at an accelerated pace, such as fast-forwarding or rewinding through audio content, existing systems often present the content in a modified form from which it may be difficult for the individual to determine what is included in the content. For example, a user may be able to select to fast-forward through audio at a “2×” scan rate, where the audio content is played back at twice the normal speed. While a listener may be able to understand the audio content at such a speed, the audio content may become difficult or impossible to comprehend if the user selects a 4× or 8× scan rate.
In some systems, during accelerated content navigation like fast-forwarding or rewinding, portions of the content may be skipped at a constant interval (such as skipping ahead in increments of one second, five seconds, thirty seconds, etc.) and brief snippets of content that occur at these positions may be played for the user. In some such systems, the user may be able to understand one or two words of the audio content in each snippet, but the words may be prepositions, pronouns or other words that do not give the listener much information regarding the subject matter of the content at the given position. Accordingly, while attempting to find a portion of interest in the content while rewinding or fast-forwarding, the listener may find himself repeatedly stopping the rewind or fast-forward operation to listen to the content for some time at normal speed in order to have a sense of the subject matter of the content at the given point.